Scrap bunch feed mechanism



Filed Sept. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WV TOR 6" MW ATTORNEY WOC June 27, 1933. R. E. RUNDELL SCRAP BUNCH FEED MECHANISM Filed se i.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR TORNEY Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE RUPERT E. RUNDEIL, 0F ROCKVILLE CENTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 INTER- NATIONAL CIGAR MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SCRAP BUNCH FEED MECHANISM Application filed September 26, 1931. Serial No. 565,336.

This invention relates to cigar bunch machines and particularly to tobacco feeding mechanisms for such machines designed to feed scrap tobacco, although certain features of the invention are applicable also to long filler feeds. The invention has for one of its objects, the improving of machines of the type disclosed in the United States patent to Rundell, #1,672,503 dated June 5, 1928. Machines of this type and all other scrap bunch machines that applicant is aware of, fail to arrange large and long scraps lengthwise of the cigar bunch which is one of the reasons that long filler cigars often smoke better than scrap filler cigars. Accord ingly it is an object of the invention to produce machine made scrap bunches in which large and elongated scraps have their greatest dimensions lengthwise of the bunch thus producing scrap bunches which are more like long filler cigars in drawing and smoking qualities. To this end, it is an object of the invention to arrange the scraps lengthwise of a stream of tobacco as it is fed and to form charges from the tobacco in the stream and get those charges into the loop of the bunch rolling apron without disturbing the lengthwise arrangement of the scrap. Some machines of this type produced a lengthwise or parallel arrangement of the tobacco scraps at one stage of the'feeding. This arrangement has been lost through the looseness, dumping or tumbling of the tobacco into a chute which leads to the loop of the rolling apron. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to avoid this loss of position attained at one stage during a later stage of the feeding and transferring of the tobacco. F or this purpose it is an object of theinvention to provide a movable measuring chamber which will move from the intermediate supply of tobacco or column, from which the bunch charge is severed, with the charge into the loop of the rolling apron thus eliminating any dumping of loose tobacco scrap.

Another difliculty which machines of the above type encounter is that the tobacco is measured by running a column or stream against a gate and then. cutting the stream or column when the gate reaches a predetermined point as the result of the pressure of the stream. This results in portions being out which are of different length depending on the density or compactness of the stream and thus in bunches which have too little or too much tobacco in their ends. Also the quantity of tobacco in a given length of the stream depends on the height of the stream which depends on the efiiciency of some leveling device and it is in practice difficult to keep the height of this stream from varying a considerab e percentage of its total height. Also this stream is subject to occasional holes or portions of underdensity which also makes the charge too light and produces soft spots in the cigar. It is another object of the invention to overcome these sources of defective bunches, and to this end applicant cuts a stream of tobacco to uniform lengths, ar-

ranges them side by side in a column and cuts the charges from the column. For the purpose of making the column of uniform density one end of the column is subjected to intermittent pressure; thus it is an object of Y the invention to cut a definite predetermined volume of tobacco from a column of uniform density this insuring uniformity in the amount in the tobacco present in successive bunches. Still another object is to provide for the above improvements in connection with a feed of the type shown in the. above mentioned patent with the minimum amount of change in the feeding end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming cigar bunches which will make a superior scrap bunch cigar. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

This feed mechanism can also be used for long filler bunches. In this case the swinging hopper and the S-shaped rakers are not required, since an operator places the long tobacco leaves upon the feed belt by hand in uniform direction and even thickness.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view partly broken away of the improved scrap bunch feed mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation partly broken away of a scrap bunch machine, constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional end elevation showing the manner in which a section of tobacco is transferred from the feed belt to the vertical tobacco column, and how a bunch charge from the said column is deposited upon the rolling apron; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional and elevation showing in different position parts in Fig. 3.

In carrying the invention into effect, there is provided in a cigar machine having a bunch rolling apron, mechanism for forming a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, that is in parallel relation, together with means for separating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative positions of said scraps undis turbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, in order to produce better smoking scrap filler cigars. In the best constructions the separating means include a movable measuring chamber adapted to receive the charge at the column and provided with mechanism for moving the chamber into a loop of the rolling apron without dropping or tumbling the tobacco. Preferably the column forming mechanism includes means for feeding the scrap in a narrow stream and has devices for cutting uniform lengths from said stream and arranging them side by side.

' 'In the best constructions the column has a vertical component and there is best provided tamping mechanism intermittently exerting yielding pressure on the upper end of said column. In the best constructions this tamping device also acts to transfer or push severed lengths of tobacco from the severing position to the column. The various means referred to may be varied widely in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved feed mechanism has a swinging tobacco magazine or hopper 10 of the type disclosed in the U. S. patent to Bronander No. 1,637 .800. operated through a connecting rod 11 from he main drive of the machine. The hopper 1O delivers the tobacco T upon an endless feed belt 12 intermittently driven from roll 13 on a shaft 14 and running over an idler roller 15 on 'a stud 16. The shaft 14 carries a sprocket 17 driven through a chain 18 by a sprocket 19 on a shaft 20 on which is mounted a ratchet 21 operated by a pawl 22 pivoted on arm 23 loosely mounted on the shaft 20. The arm 23 is swung back and forth by a connecting rod 24 actuated by an adjustable crank pin 25 through which the feed is varied to suit conditions, on a disc 26 mounted on a shaft 27 Which is driven in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 from the main drive of the machine.

The upper surface of belt 12 forms the movable bottom of a stationary feed channel consisting of side walls 28 and 29 provided with slots 30 across which are placed shafts 31 carrying' rotating S shaped rakers 32 which serve to arrange elongated tobacco scraps lengthwise of the stream and also to level the stream, all the shafts 31 being driven from the main drive in the same direction by a sprocket 33 and a gear train 34 enclosed in a housing 35 detachably mounted on side wall 29 by means of brackets 36. This detachability is provided for in case the improved mechanism is to be used for feeding long filler tobacco, in which case the swinging hopper also must be detached and the long filler tobacco placed by hand on the feed belt 12.

After the filler tobacco T has been subjected to the action of the S shaped rakers 32, the charge passes under a roller 37 the knurled periphery of which fills the entire width of th'e f je ed channel. The roller 37 is mounted ona' shaft 38 which is supported by channel walls 28 and 29 and driven through a sprocket 39 from the main drive of the machine in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2.

Near the end of the travel of the feed belt described, cuts off sections of the proper length from the advancing tobacco layer on feed belt 12. It will be noted that the dimensions of the sections are constant, not varying as when a similar wall is used as a measuring device for controlling the feed. A plunger 43, actuated transversely to the feed belt 12, pushes each section so out upon an oscillating drum 44, Fig. 3, equipped with a'paddle 45 which swings the cut section to transfer it without disturbing the arrangement of the scraps into a stationary vertical chamber 46 thereby forming a vertical gravity pressed tobacco column.

The drum 44 is mounted on a shaft 47 which has a gear 48 actuated by a gear sector 49 mounted on an arm 50 pivoted on a stud 51. From the hub of the arm 50 extends a od 52 carrying an adjustable weight 53.

The arm has a pin 54 engaging in the slot of a rod 55 pivoted to a lever 56 actuated from the main drive of the machine as will presently be described. The lever 56 is so adjusted that in its rest position the paddle 45 of drum 44 is just under the edge of feed belt 12, so that drum 44 can take the tobacco section T which is brought upon the same by plunger 43. After the tobacco section has been placed on the drum 44, lever 56 moves upwardQthereby releasing pin 54 so that now sector 49 by means of weight 53 will turn the drum 44 forward and thus transfer the tobacco section into chamber 46. The weight 58 is employed to secure an even density of the tobacco, this weight holding the paddle 45 with a constant pressure upon the tobacco column T in chamber 46 on the delivery of each tobacco section, Fig. 4, the paddle thus forming a yieldingly operated tamper.

When a tobacco section is being inserted into chamber 46, the latter communicates with a transfer chamber consisting of side walls 57 and end walls 58, over the bottom of which passes the rolling apron 59 and which is moved up and down by rods 60 slidable in bearings 61 supported by the frame of the machine, the height of chamber 5758 being such that it will hold a charge T just wufiicient and of correct dimensions for one cigar bunch. This charge is severed from the column in chamber 46 by means of a knife 62, Fig. 4, moving across the end of chamber 46 while the paddle 45 is in tamping position. The charge T in chamber 57-58 is then moved into a lower position in which the rolling apron forms a loop 59, so that the rolling pin 63, when moving in the direction of the arrow, will wrap the apron around the charge T and roll the later into a binding leaf placed in a proper position on rolling table 64, thereby forming a cigar bunch.

The bottom of transfer chamber 57-58 is formed by a plate 65 which supports the roll- .ing apron 59 passing through the chamber, which plate 65 may be provided with guides for steadying its motion. The side walls of chamber 57 are pivoted on studs 66 and at one end are equipped with fingers 67 which an their downward motion engage with stop pins 68, thereby seperating the side walls 57 of the chamber and releasing the tobacco charge T. In the upper position of the transfer chamber, the side walls 57.are held 'n closed position by stop screws 69 which may be suitably supported in fixed position on the frame of the machine and then register with the side walls of chamber 46 and form an extension of the column.

After the transfer chamber in its lowermost position has released the tobacco charge T, its walls 57 and 58 are immediately moved up again against chamber 46, to leave the charge T on the apron 59 free to the action of the rolling pin 62. Upon the return of the latter to its starting position, the plate 65 moves up to close the chamber, taking the apron 59 with it. While chamber 58 is open at the bottom-l during the 'rolling of :the bunch, which coincides with the return motion of drum 44, the knife 62 forms the bottom of chamber 46, from which position it is withdrawn after plate 65 has moved up and when a new tobacco section is transferred into chamber 46.

It will be seen that the tobacco is not released by the measuring chamber until it is actually within the bight or loop of the rolling apron and resting thereon so there is no opportunity for dropping or tumbling of the tobacco to disarrange the scraps, from their lengthwise and parallel arrangement in the charge, and hence in the bunch and cigar made therefrom.

The above described parts are driven in proper timed relation by suitable operating connections of which those somewhat diagrammatically shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of drawings are illustrative. The plunger 43 derives its motion from shaft 78 suitably driven in timed relation to the cam shaft 100 and the shaft 27 by any conventional driving connections from the main drix e of the machine as are shafts 100 and 27 also. The shaft 78 is provided with a cam 77 operating through roller 76 the short arm 75 of a lever 72 which through link 71 gives the desired reciprocating motion to the plunger 43 to transfer the tobacco portions. The lever 72 is mounted on pivot 73 fixedly supported in any suitable way as to the machine frame and is biased against the cam by a spring 74.

In order to operate the knives 41 as described, a link 82 connected by means of a pin 83 in the link and slots in each of the levers 42, to said levers, is given reciprocating operating movement by cam lever 79 pivoted at 73 and engaging at 80 the cam 81 fixed on the shaft 78.

The knife 62 is reciprocated in proper time from a cam 94 by means of a plunger 90 in a guide 91 secured to the machine frame or otherwise secured in fixed position, the plunger being connected by a pin 89 through a slot to one arm 88 of a bell crank lever 92 engaging at 93 the cam 94.

The measuring chamber derives its motion from shaft 100 through a cross piece 95 secured to rods 60. This cross piece is connected by a pin and slot to cam lever 96 pivoted on a shaft 98 on the machine frame or otherwise fixedly secured, and this lever engages at 97 a cam 99 secured to the shaft 100.

The table 65 is operated from cam 104 on shaft 100 actuating at 103, lever 102 pivoted at one end to shaft 98. The other end of this lever is connected by a pin and slot to a cross head 101 having uprights 105 preferably guided by any suitable means not shown.

In view of the foregoing separate detailed description of th operation of this mechanism is deemed unnecessary and is therefore tending in one direction, of means for sepa-.

rating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative positions of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge.

2. In a cigar mach ne having a bunch rolling apron, the combination with mechanism for forming a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, of means for separat ng bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative positions of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, said mechanism including means for feeding the scrap in a narrow stream and having devices for cutting uniform lengths from said stream and arranging them side by side.

3. In a cigar machine having a bunch rolling apron, the combination with mechanism for forming a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, of means for separating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative position of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, said means including a movable measuring chamber adapted to receive the charge at the column and mechanism for moving said measuring chamber into a loop of the rolling apron.

4. In a cigar machine having a bunch rolling apron, the combination with mechanism for forming a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, of means for separating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative pos tion of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, said means including a movable measuring chamber having separable walls adapted to receive one end of said column and devices for moving the chamber into a loop of said belt and then separating said walls to release the charge.

5. In a cigar machine having a bunch rolling apron, the combination with mechanism for form ng a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, of means for separating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative position of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, said means comprising a measuring chamber having opposite open sides through one of which it receives one end of said column, a cutter for severing the portion of the column within the chamber, devices for moving said chamber with the charge from the end of the column to rolling position and a device for lifting the rolling apron to cause it to close one of said open sides during said transfer.

6. In a cigar machine having a bunch rolling apron, the combination with mechanism for forming a column of scrap tobacco with elongated scraps having their lengths extending in one direction, of means for separating bunch charges from said column and transferring the charges into a loop of the rolling apron with the relative position of said scraps undisturbed and their lengths extending lengthwise of the charge, said mechanism including means for feeding a stream of the tobacco and rake devices acting on the stream lengthwise thereof.

7. In a cigar bunch machine, a feed for feeding a stream of tobacco, devices for separating lengths from said stream, means for arranging the lengths side by side in a column having a vertical component and mechanism for separating cigar bunch charges from the bottom of said column, said means including tamping mechanism for intermittently exerting yielding predetermined pressure on the upper end of said column, and comprising an oscillating paddle, a weighted lever geared to said paddle to press it against the tobacco in said column with a predetermined pressure, and means for swinging said lever away from said column.

8. In a cigar bunch machine, a feed for feeding a stream of tobacco, devices for separating length from said stream, means for arranging the length side by side in a column having a vertical component and mechanism for separating cigar bunch charges from the bottom of said column, said feed including instrumentalities forming a horizontal stream and said means including a swinging pusher operating to push the lengths of tobacco in a curved path sidewise and then down onto the upper side of said column and weight actuated gear means for operating said pusher.

9. In a cigar bunch machine having a bunch rolling apron, means for supplying a column of tobacco, a measuring chamber adapted to receive tobacco from one end of said column, means for moving the chamber downwardly into a loop of the rolling apron, mechanism acting on the walls of the measuring chamber while within said loop to relatively separate them and release the charge from the chamber.

10. In a cigar bunchmachine having a bunch rolling apron, means for supplying a column of tobacco, a measuring chamber adapted to receive tobacco from one end of said column, means for moving the chamber into a loop of the rolling apron, mechanism acting on the walls of the measuring chamber while within said loop to release the charge from the chamber, said mechanism comprising means mounting walls of said chamber for relative separating movement and stationary devices for producing said movement as the chamber completes its movement into the loop.

11. In a cigar bunch machine having a bunch rolling apron, means for supplying a column of tobacco, a measuring chamber adapted to receive tobacco from one end of said column, means for moving the chamber into a loop of the rolling apron, mechanism acting on the walls of the measuring chamber while within said loop to release the charge from the chamber, said chamber having opposed pivoted walls and said mechanism including devices for swinging said walls away from each other ,when thechamher is in the loop.

12. In a cigar bunch machine having a bunch rolling apron, means for supplying a column of tobacco, a measuring chamber adapted to receive tobacco from one end of said column, means for moving the chamber into a loop of the rolling apron, mechanism acting on the walls of the measuring chamber while within said loop to release the charge from the chamber, said chamber having an open side for receiving the .tobacco from the column, a second open side opposite the receiving side and means acting on the apron to cause the apron to close the second side during moving of said cham- 13. In a scrap bunch machine, having bunch rolling devices, the combination with mechanism for feeding a stream of scrap tobacco with the longer dimensions of the scraps extending lengthwise of the stream, and means for delivering measured quantities of tobacco from said stream into the bunch rolling devices without permitting the scraps to lose their relative lengthwise position and with said scraps extending lengthwise of the bunch.

1a. In a scrap bunch machine, having bunch rolling devices, the combination with mechanism for feeding a stream of scrap tobacco with the longer dimensions of the scraps extending lengthwise of the stream, and means for delivering measured quantities of tobacco from said stream into the bunch rolling devices without permitting the scraps to lose their relative lengthwise position and with said scraps extending lengthwise of the bunch, said mechanism including devices for raking said stream lengthwise.

15. In a cigar bunch machine having a bunch rolling apron, an elongated chamber having a pair of opposite side walls capable of relative separating movement, means for supplying a bunch charge to said chamber, means for moving said chamber into and out of a loop of the rolling apron and devices acting on said chamber while Within said loop to produce said separating movement and release charge from the chamber.

16. The method of forming cigar bunches from scrap tobacco which consists in feeding the tobacco in a stream, raking the tobacco in one direction to arrange the scraps with their lengths extending in parallel relation, forming bunch charges from said stream without disturbing the parallel relation of the scraps and with the scraps extending lengthwise of the charge, and rolling a binder about the charge to form a bunch having elongated scraps parallel and lengthwise in the bunch.

17. In a cigar bunch machine, the combination with a feed belt for feeding a stream of tobacco, devices for separating lengths from said stream, means for arranging the lengths side by side in a column having a vertical component, and means for separating cigar bunch charges from the bottom of said column, said devices including a stationary wall against which said stream is forwarded, and oppositely reciprocating knives moving from opposite sides of said belt and cooperating to sever said stream of tobacco on said feedv belt at a distance from said wall substantially equal to the desired length of the bunch charge.

18. In a cigar bunch machine, the combination with a feed or feeding a stream of tobacco, devices for separating lengths from said stream, means for arranging said lengths side by side in a vertical column, a rolling apron, a device for raising the rolling apron against the lower end of said column, and means for separating cigar bunch charges from the lower end of said column while the rolling apron is raised into engagement therewith, said means for arranging the severed lengths in the column including tamping mechanism exerting yielding pressure on the upper end of said column while said rolling apron is raised into engagement with the lower end of the column.

19. In a cigar bunch machine, the combination with a feed for feeding a stream of tobacco, devices for separating lengths from said stream, means for arranging said lengths side by side in a vertical column, a rolling apron, a device for raising the rolling apron against the lower end of said column, and means for separating cigar bunch charges from the lower end of said column while said rolling apron is raised into engagement therewith, said means for arranging the seving chamber for receiving the lower end of said column and raising the rolling apron lnto engagement with said lower end, a cutter for cutting oif the lower end of said column While it is in said measuring chamber and engaged by the rolling apron, and said means including a tamper acting on the other end of said column to render the tobacco within the chamber of uniform density.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RUPERT E. RUNDELL. 

